The North Face Ligero 50

I bought The North Face Ligero 50 Backpack (Black) for a winter camping trip which consisted of a 3-mile hike both in and out on snowshoes.

I liked the pack itself; it is made well, it is comfortable and it held up well. Best part about it was it came with the rain cover which proved to be handy when it started raining/sleeting/snowing on the hike in. Fully packed, (if not over packed) the rain cover fit almost over the entire pack very nicely. It just left my sleeping pad exposed at the bottom of the pack which was fine.

One grip with the pack itself was that what I received differed from the picture on here. For the black backpack, the picture on here shows the zippers to be GREY, but they are actually WHITE. This probably wouldn’t bother most people but I would rather have the grey because the white shows the dirt and grime more and faster.

My other problem (NOT A PROBLEM WITH THE PACK, JUST NOT WHAT I NEED IT FOR) was it was way over packed for a backpack of this size. I was probably pushing around 60lbs. I am returning it for the Crestone60 which should be large enough for what I need it for. For an overnight hike, or maybe even a weekend hike in the summer months it should prove to be very competent. Winter hiking just requires more space for all of the large and heavy apparel and what not.

The pack seemed to be made well. When overstuffed, I've never seen any seams looking as though they were being stressed too much or anything like that. The zippers are a little tough but that’s to be expected with something like this.

I agree the pocket structure is nice on this pack, however I would have liked a sleeping bag compartment and front access to the main pack better, which are not available on this pack. Also, when fully packed I had a hard time inserting and removing the water bottles from the holders on the sides. They are made to be somewhat tight to the pack so if packing light they should be fine, but again for what I did it seemed to be a hassle. I had to pack the bottles first in order to get them into the holders because the pack was so stuffed, and then getting them back in while on the trail proved to be a challenge.

If you’re into your pack looking cool as well as it performs, I’d say this pack stands out in that area.
I would recommend this pack to anyone who is looking for a pack of this size.
I would keep this and buy another larger pack if I had the money to do so.

I bought the gunnison green 50L pack and I have used it on several fairly short hikes
with small loads and I am very impressed. Though I haven't been on a backpacking trip with it yet, I was able to fit a two-man tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, light jacket, and an extra change of clothes in it without it exploding.(but just barely) Because of the gear bungees on the sides of the pack, you can easily tie some of your gear on the outside to free up space on the inside. I'm sure if I packed lite, I would have room for a two or three day backpack trip. Even though I haven't been on a trip with it fully loaded, I have worn it around the house with it filled up and it is extremely comfortable. There are ample adjustments on it so that you can really make it fit your body. All the zippers are strong, and the material is thick and durable. I like the design of all the compartments.
If I could change one thing about this pack, I would make the water bottle pockets out of a more elastic material. It pushes in on the pack when you put a Nalgeen in them and it makes the inside smaller. If the inside is packed tight and you pull out your bottle, you have to struggle to get it back in without removing something from the main compartment. Other than than that, I have no complaints about it. I would recommend getting the 55L model if you need it for several day trips to give you a little more room. All in all, it is an excellent pack at an unbeatable price.

I love this thing. I just wrote a review for the North Face Primero 70 which i bought at the same time as this. The Ligero 50 has a better pocket structure then the 70. There are multiple compartments on this pack which makes it easy to access and store different items. Also, the rain cover worked very well when i needed it. Living in Italy and biking to and from work everyday makes this Rain Proof pack a must. I love this pack....5 stars easily...

I selected this pack for my trip to Vietnam in the coming months. All the usual refinements seem to be here, as well as a rain cover. It is very comfortable to wear, very lightweight, and has a small profile with its internal frame. Snaps and zippers also seem to be of high quality. I look forward to traveling with it.